Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of January 27, 2010
Senior Center Conference Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Dennis Murphy, Chairman; Sam Bradford, Robert Kelly, Robert Wallace, Janet Loewenstein, Donna Robertson, Sylvia Smith,
Regrets: John T. Morrissey, Liz Sorrell
Also Attending: Town Administrator Paul Sieloff, Town Accountant Marilyn Crary
Chairman Dennis Murphy called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Shellfish Budget
Shellfish Warden Andrew Koch was present to discuss his Budgets # 179 and #180. He answered questions on the gasoline and telephone lines. Koch said that in line #180 the cultch budget had been cut by $2,000. He explained the previous costs and the shipping expenses. Finance Committee had suggestions for shipping alternatives. Koch produced samples of cultch to help FinCom understand its importance for oyster propagation. Koch said the cultch line was essential to his budget. He said he would prefer to make cuts elsewhere in his overall budget because cultch is his most important line item. Paul Sieloff said that the #180 budget had leeway for transfers between lines. Sieloff said the Selectmen had already approved the FY2011 budget line. FinCom considered recommending the $10,000
for the cultch line. The possibility of a transfer of cultch money for FY2010 and encumbering it for FY2011 was also discussed.
Koch said he had made a Capital Budget request for replacement of the Shellfish truck which he discussed with Paul Sieloff and FinCom. He distributed the required rollover for the 2005 truck although it is no longer in the Capital Budget. FinCom discussed trade-in options for the newer Shellfish truck.
Marina Enterprise Budget
Harbormaster Michael Flanagan and Assistant Harbormaster Michael May were present to review the Marina Enterprise Budget. Flanagan said differences occurred in the debt service. The gasoline/diesel line for resale and other fuel lines were discussed. Dockage fees, revenue and insurance expenditures were reviewed. Crary explained the presentation of the Enterprise Fund budget in the Warrant.
Bob Wallace scrutinized the legal service line of $5,000. Flanagan anticipated the need for more legal fees for an attorney to represent the Marina. Paul Sieloff said that Kopelman & Paige is the authorized Town Counsel, which covers the Marina. Flanagan answered questions on the Marina Capital Plan.
DPW Budget
DPW Director Mark Vincent and DPW Secretary Joan Baker were present to review the DPW budgets with FinCom. They explained changes in the requests and differences between Fiscal Year 2010 and Fy2011. Maintenance done of Fire Department vehicles was discussed. Charter requirements hold DPW responsible for maintenance of the Fire vehicles. Mark Vincent said it would be helpful if other departments took care of the records for their vehicles. There were questions on hours at the transfer station and lighting. On the Capital Improvement Plan, repaving of Maguire’s Beach parking lot had been moved up to FY11.
Other Business
Dennis Murphy asked about Health Insurance providers.
Paul Sieloff said that the BOS made a few changes to the Budget. The police cruiser was removed from the Operating Budget and placed in the Capital Budget. Marilyn Crary had prepared a draft of the Water System Enterprise Budget. The water tanker for the Fire Department is on the CIP, not the Capital Budget. FinCom requested the revised Capital Budget. The Budget is still subject to change once the School budget is determined. Sieloff said there was a big transfer for overtime that would be requested by the Fire Department. Sieloff said there would be Police and Fire negotiations beginning this year.
Murphy said that the tax bills had gone up. The tax rate has gone up, Crary said, even though the evaluations are down.
The next meeting will be held February 10, 2010. The joint meeting with the Selectmen on Education will be February 23.
Sam Bradford volunteered to be liaison to the Wastewater Committee.
Marilyn Crary announced the $107,000 that the state would be billing the Town to offset the “cherry sheet” money.
FinCom members noted the e-mails they had received regarding wind turbines.
Minutes of 1/20/2011
Bradford moved to approve the minutes of January 20, 2011. Smith seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 9:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
____________________________ _________________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Dennis Murphy, Chairman
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Date
Finance Committee approved these minutes at the meeting held 2/10/10.
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